The Chater Legacy - A Selection of the Chater Collection

Hong Kong Museum of Art

Ends Jan 8, 2008

The well-restored artworks from the collection of Paul Chater belie the ravages of the Japanese occupation, when many of the pieces went missing. More than 40 of the 90 or so remaining pieces - most recovered from rubbish dumps and antique shops over the years - are now on display to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Chater, an Indian-born Armenian, settled in Hong Kong in 1864 and became a wealthy merchant and prominent government official (Chater Road and Chater Garden are named after him). He left his private collection of paintings and ceramics to the people of Hong Kong in his will.

The selection, featuring lithographs, watercolours, oil paintings and engravings, depicts foreigners' impressions of South China trading ports such as Canton, Macau and Hong Kong in the 18th and 19th centuries, and includes cityscapes, street scenes, rituals and everyday life. History buffs should enjoy China Wars - a series of 18 works portraying battleships, treaty signings and other key Sino-British events.

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